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DEACON  EMMONS. 


THE    DEACON'S    WEEK 


AND 


WHAT  DEACON  BAXTER  SAID 


BV 

ROSE    TERRY    COOKE 


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Zbc  ipilGrim  press 

ClIICAC't 


THE  DEACON'S   WEEK 


M174947 


THE    DEACON'S    WEEK 


nPHE  communion  service  of  January  was 
*  just  over  in  the  church  at  Sugar 
Hollow,  and  people  were  waiting  for  Mr. 
Parkes  to  give  out 
the  hymn,  but  he  did 
not  give  it  out ;  he 
laid  his  book  down 
on  the  table,  and 
looked  about  on  his 
church. 

He  was  a  man  of 
simplicity  and  sincer- 
ity, fully  in  earnest  to 

do    his    Lord's  work,  _    _ 

and  do  it  with  all  his  ~     zlz 

might,  but  he  did  sometimes  feel  discouraged. 
His  congregation  was  a  mixture  of  farmers 
and  mechanics,  for  Sugar  Hollow  was  cut  in 
two  by  Sugar  Brook,  a  brawling,  noisy  stream 


6  THE    DEACON'S    WEEK 

that  turned  the  wheel  of  many  a  mill  and 
manufactory,  yet  on  the  hills  around  it  there 
was  still  a  scattered  population  eating  their 
bread  in  the  full  perception  of  the  primeval 
curse.  So  he  had  to  contend  with  the  keen 
brain  and  skeptical  comment  of  the  men  who 


piqued  themselves  on  power  to  hammer  at 
theological  problems  as  well  as  hot  iron,  with 
the  jealousy  and  repulsion  and  bitter  feeling 
that  has  bred  the  communistic  hordes  abroad 
and  at  home  ;  while  perhaps  he  had  a  still 
harder  task  to  awaken  the  sluggish  souls  of 
those  who  used  their  days  to  struggle  with 
barren  hillside  and  rocky  pasture  for  mere 
food  and  clothing,  and  their  nights  to  sleep 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK  J 

the  dull  sleep  of  physical  fatigue  and  mental 
vacuity. 

It  seemed  sometimes  to  Mr.  Parkes  that 
nothing  but  the  trump  of  Gabriel  could 
arouse  his  people  from  their  sins  and  make 
them  believe  on  the  Lord  and  follow  his 
footsteps.  To-day  —  no,  a  long  time  before 
to-day  —  he  had  mused  and  prayed  till 
an  idea  took  shape  in  his  thought,  and 
now  he  was  to  put  it  in  practice;  yet  he 
felt  peculiarly  responsible  and  solemnized 
as  he  looked  about  him  and  foreboded  the 
success  of  his  experiment.  Then  there 
flashed  across  him,  as  words  of  Scripture 
will  come  back  to  the  habitual  Bible  reader, 
the  noble  utterance  of  Gamaliel  concerning 
Peter  and  his  brethren  when  they  stood 
before  the  council :  '*  If  this  counsel  or  this 
work  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to  nought:  but 
if  it  be  of  God,  ye  cannot  overthrow  it."  So 
with  a  sense  of  strength  the  minister  spoke. 

'*  My  dear  friends,"  he  said,  ''  you  all 
know,  though  I  did  not  give  any  notice  to 
that   effect,  that    this  week    is    the  Week  of 


8  THE   DEACON'S    WEEK 

Prayer.  I  have  a  mind  to  ask  you  to  make  it, 
for  this  once,  a  week  of  practice  instead.  I 
think  we  may  discover  some  things,  some 
of  the  things  of  God,  in  this  manner  that 
a  succession  of  prayer  meetings  would  not 
perhaps  so  thoroughly  reveal  to  us.  Now 
when  I  say  this  I  don't  mean  to  have  you 
go  home  and  vaguely  endeavor  to  walk 
straight  in  the  old  way ;  I  w^ant  you  to 
take  '  topics/  as  they  are  called,  for  the 
prayer  meetings.  For  instance,  Monday  is 
prayer  for  the  temperance  work.  Try  all 
that  day  to  be  temperate  in  speech,  in  act, 
in  indulgence  of  any  kind  that  is  hurtful 
to  you.  The  next  day  is  for  Sunday- 
schools  ;  go  and  visit  your  scholars,  such 
of  you  as  are  teachers,  and  try  to  feel  that 
they  have  living  souls  to  save.  Wednesday 
is  a  day  for  fellowship  meeting ;  we  are 
cordially  invited  to  attend  a  union  meeting 
of  this  sort  at  Bantam.  .  Few  of  us  can  go 
twenty-five  miles  to  be  with  our  brethren 
there  ;  let  us  spend  that  day  in  cultivating 
our  brethren  here  ;  let  us  go   and  see  those 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK  9 

who  have  been  cold  to  us  for  some  reason, 
heal  up  our  breaches  of  friendship,  confess 
our  shortcomings  one  to  another,  and  act 
as  if,  in  our  Master's  words,  '  all  ye  are 
brethren/ 

*'Thursda\  i^  the  day  to  pray  for  the 
family  relation  ;  let  us  each  try  to  be  to 
our  families  on  that  day  in  our  measure 
what  the  Lord  is  to  his  family,  the  Church, 
remembering  the  words,  '  Fathers,  provoke 
not  your  children  to  anger;'  'Husbands, 
love  your  wives,  and  be  not  bitter  against 
them.'  These  are  texts  rarely  commented 
upon,  I  have  noticed,  in  our  conference 
meetings  ;  we  are  more  apt  to  speak  of 
the  obedience  due  from  children,  and  the 
submission  and  meekness  our  wives  owe 
us,  forgetting  that  duties  are  always  recip- 
rocal. 

**  Friday  the  Church  is  to  be  prayed  for. 
Let  us  •  then  each  for  himself  try  to  act 
that  day  just  as  we  think  Christ,  our 
great  Exemplar,  would  have  acted  in  our 
places.     Let   us    try    to    prove    to   ourselves. 


lO 


THE   DEACON'S    WEEK 


and  the  world  about  us  that  we  have  not 
taken  upon  us  his  name  Hghtly  or  in 
vain.  Saturday  is  prayer  day  for  the  heathen 
and  foreign  missions.  Brethren,  you  know 
and  I  know  that  there  are  heathen  at  our 
doors  here ;  let  every  one  of  you  who  will, 

take  that  day  to 
preach  the  gos- 
pel to  some  one 
who  does  not 
hear  it  anywhere 
else.  Perhaps 
you  will  find  work 
that  ye  knew  not 
of  lying  in  your 
midst.  And  let 
us  all  on  Satur- 
day  evening 
AMOS  TUCKER  meet  here  again 

and  choose  some  one  brother  to  relate  his 
experience  of  the  week.  You  who  are  will- 
ing to  try  this  method,  please  to  rise." 

Everybody  rose  except  old  Amos  Tucker, 
who  never  stirred,  though  his  wife  pulled  at 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK  I  I 

him  and  whispered  to  him  imploringly.  He 
only  shook  his  grizzled  head  and  sat  im- 
movable. 

*'  Let  us  sing  the  doxology,"  said  Mr. 
Parkes ;  and  it  was  sung  with  full  fervor. 
The  new  idea  had  roused  the  church  fully ; 
it  was  something  fixed  and  positive  to  do  ; 
it  was  the  lever-point  Archimedes  longed 
for,  and  each  felt  ready  and  strong  to  move 
a  world. 

Saturday  night  the  church  assembled  again. 
The  cheerful  eagerness  w^as  gone  from  their 
faces ;  they  looked  downcast,  troubled, 
weary  —  as  the  pastor  expected.  When 
the  box  for  ballots  was  passed  about,  each 
one  tore  a  bit  of  paper  from  the  sheet  placed 
in  the  hymn  books  for  that  purpose,  and, 
wTOte  on  it  a  name.  The  pastor  said  after 
he  had  counted  them  :  — 

**  Deacon  Emmons,  the  lot  has  fallen  on 
you." 

"  I  'm  sorry  for 't,'*  said  the  deacon,  rising  up 
and  taking  off  his  overcoat.  *'  I  ha'n't  got  the 
best  of  records,  Mr.  Parkes,  now  I  tell  ye." 


12  THE  DEACON'S  WEEK 

''That  isn't  what  we  want,"  said  Mr. 
Parkes.  "  We  want  to  know  the  whole 
experience  of  some  one  among  us,  and  we 
know  you  will  not  tell  us  either  more  or  less 
than  what  you  did  experience." 

Deacon  Emmons  was  a  short,  thickset 
man,  with  a  shrewd,  kindly  face  and  gray 
hair,  who  kept  the  village  store  and  had  a 
well-earned  reputation  for  honesty. 

''Well,  brethren,"  he  said,  "  I  do'  'no'  why 
I  should  n't  tell  it.  I  am  pretty  well  ashamed 
of  myself,  no  doubt,  but  I  ought  to  be,  and 
maybe  I  shall  profit  by  what  I  've  found  out 
these  six  days  back.  I'll  tell  you  just  as 
it  come. 

"  Monday,  I  looked  about  me  to  begin 
with.  I  am  amazinof  fond  of  coffee,  and 
it  a'n't  good  for  me ;  the  doctor  says  it 
a'n't,  but  dear  me !  it  does  set  a  man  up 
good,  cold  mornings  to  have  a  cup  of  hot, 
sweet,  tasty  drink,  and  I  haven't  had  the 
grit  to  refuse  !  I  knew  it  made  me  what 
folks  call  nervous,  and  I  call  cross,  before 
night    come ;    and    I     knew    it    fetched    on 


THE   DEA  COX'S    WEEK'  I  3 

spells  of  low  spirits  when  our  folks  could  n't 
get  a  word  out  of  me  —  not  a  good  one, 
any  way ;  so  I  thought  1  'd  try  on  that  to 
begin  with.  I  tell  you  it  come  hard !  I 
hankered  after  that  drink  of  coffee  dread- 
ful !  Seemed  as  though  I  could  n't  eat  my 
breakfast  without  it.  More  'n  I  ever  did 
in  my  life  before  I  feel  to  pity  a  man 
that  loves  liquor ;  but  I  feel  sure  they  can 
stop  if  they  try,  for  I  Ve  stopped,  and  I  'm 
a-goin'  to  stay  stopped. 

*'  Well,  come  to  dinner,  there  was  another 
fight.  I  do  set  by  pie  the  most  of  anything. 
I  was  fetched  up  on  pie,  as  you  may  say. 
Our  folks  always  had  it  three  times  a  day, 
and  the  doctor,  he  's  been  talkin'  and  talkin' 
to  me  about  eatin'  pie.  I  have  the  dys- 
pepsy  like  everything,  and  it  makes  me 
useless  by  spells,  and  onreliable  as  a 
weathercock.  An'  Dr.  Drake,  he  says  there 
won't  nothing  help  me  but  to  diet.  I 
was  readin'  the  Bible  that  morning  while 
1  sat  waiting  for  breakfast,  for  'twas  Mon- 
day,  and    wife  was    kind    of   set    back    with 


14  THE   DEACON'S    WEEK 

« 

washin'  and  all,  and  I  come  acrost  that 
part  where  it  says  that  the  bodies  of  Chris- 
tians are  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Well, 
thinks  I,  we  'd  ought  to  take  care  of  'em 
if  they  be,  and  see  that  they  're  kep'  clean 
and  pleasant,  like  the  church ;  and  nobody 
can  be  clean  nor  pleasant  that  has  dys- 
pepsy.  But  come  to  pie,  I  felt  as  though 
I  could  n't !  and,  lo  ye,  I  did  n't !  I  eet  a 
piece  right  against  my  conscience;  facin' 
what  I  knew  I  ought  to  do,  I  went  and 
done  what  I  ought  not  to.  I  tell  ye  my 
conscience  made  music  of  me  consider'ble, 
and  I  said  then  I  would  n't  never  sneer#at 
a  drinkin'  man  no  more  when  he  slipped  ilp. 
I  'd  feel  for  him  and  help  him,  for  I  see 
just  how  it  was.  So  that  day's  practice  giv' 
out,  but  it  learnt  me  a  good  deal  more 'n  I 
knew  before. 

''  I  started  out  next  day  to  look  up  my 
Bible  class.  They  have  n't  really  tended  up 
to  Sunday-school  as  they  ought  to,  along 
back,  but  I  was  busy,  here  and  there,  and 
there  did  n't   seem    to  be    a  real    chance   to 


THE   DEACOyS    WLhh 


15 


get  to  it.  Well,  'twould  take  the  evenin' 
to  tell  it  all.  but  I  found  one  real  sick, 
been  abed  for  three  weeks,  and  was  so 
crlad  to  see  me  that  I  felt  fair  ashamed. 
Seemed  as  though  I  heerd  the  Lord  for 
the  first  time  sayin',  '  Inasmuch  as  ye  did 
it    not   to    one   of    the    least    of    these,    ye 


did  it  not  to  me/  Then  another  man's  old 
mother  says  to  rae  before  he  come  in  from 
the  shed,  says  she,  *  He 's  been  a-sayin' 
that  if  folks  practiced  what  they  preached 
you  *d  ha'  come  round  to  look  him  up  afore 
now,    but    he    reckoned  you    kinder    looked 


1 6  THE  DEACON'S    WEEK 

down  on  mill  hands.  I  'm  awful  glad  you 
come.'  Brethring,  so  was  If  I  tell  you 
that  day's  work  done  me  good.  I  got  a  poor 
opinion  of  Josiah  Emmons,  now  I  tell  ye, 
but  I  learned  more  about  the  Lord's  wisdom 
than  a  month  o'  Sundays  ever  showed  me." 

A  smile  he  could  not  repress  passed  over 
Mr.  Parkes'  earnest  face.  The  deacon  had 
forgotten  all  external  issues  in  coming  so 
close  to  the  heart  of  things ;  but  the  smile 
passed  as  he  said  :  — 

''  Brother  Emmons,  do  you  remember 
what  the  Master  said,  '  If  any  man  will 
do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doc- 
trine, whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I 
speak  of  myself?  " 

''Well,  it's  so''  answered  the  deacon; 
''  it 's  so  right  along.  Why,  I  never  thought 
so  much  of  my  Bible  class,  nor  took  no 
sech  int'rest  in  'em  as  I  do  to-day — not 
since  I  begun  to  teach.  I  b'lieve  they'll 
come  more  reg'lar  now,  too. 

''  Now  come  fellowship  day.  I  thought 
that  would   be    all  plain    sailin' ;  seemed   as 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK 


17 


though  1  'd  got  warmed  up  till  I  felt  pleasant 
towardst  everybody  ;  so  I  went  around  seein* 
folks  that  was  neighbors,  and  *twas  easy; 
but  when  I  come  home  at  noon  spell, 
Philur)'  says,  says  she,  *  Square  Tucker's 
black  bull  is  into  th'  orchard  a-tearin'  round, 
and  he 's  knocked  two  lengths  o'  fence  down 


^';^;J       ■^.•i 


7'/ 


f^*^' 

i 


flat ! '  Well,  the  old  Adam  riz  up  then,  you  'd 
better  b'lieve.  That  black  bull  has  been 
a-breakin*  into  my  lots  ever  sence  we  got 
in  th*  aftermath,  and  it's  Square  Tucker's 
fence,  and  he  won't  make  it  bull-strong  as 
he  'd  oughter,  and  that  orchard  was  a  young 
one  jest   comin'  to   bear,    and  all    the    new 


i8 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK 


wood  crisp  as  cracklin's  with  frost.  You  'd 
better  b'lieve  I  did  n't  have  much  feller- 
feehn'  with  Amos  Tucker.  I  jest  put  over 
to  his  house  and  spoke  up  pretty  free  to 
him,  when  he  looked  up  and  says,  says  he, 
'Fellowship    meetin'  day,  a'n't  it.   Deacon?' 

I'd  ruther  he'd 
ha'  slapped  my 
face.  I  felt 
as  though  I 
should  like  to 
slip  behind 
the  door.  I 
see  pretty  dis- 
tinct what  sort 
of  life  I  'dbeen 
.  I  .         livin'  all  the 

M^'^V^^    years      I  'd 
been     a     pro- 
fessor, when  I  could  n't  hold  on  to  my  tongue 
and  temper  one  day !  " 

''  Breth-e-ren,"  interrupted  a  slow,  harsh 
voice,  somewhat  broken  with  emotion,  ''Til 
tell    the    rest    on 't.     Josiah    Emmons    come 


ant"  ^",  OUcuxm/? 


7  nr    I) J-  n-()  v  <:    w i-  i-  k' 


^9 


around  like  a  man  an'  a  Christian  right 
there.  He  asked  me  for  to  forgive  him, 
and  not  to  think  't  was  the  fault  of  his 
religion,  because  'twas  his 'n  and  nothin* 
else.  I  think  more  of  him  to-day  than  I  ever 
done  before.  I  was  one  that  would  n't  say 
I  'd  practice  with  the  rest  of  ye.  I  thought 
't  was  everlastin'  nonsense.  I  'd  ruther  go  to 
forty-nine  prayer  meetin's  than  work  at  bein' 
good  a  week.  I  b'lieve  my  hope  has  been 
one  of  them  that  perish  ;  it  ha'n't  worked, 
and  I  leave  it  behind  to-day.  I  mean  to 
begin  honest,  and  it  was  seein*  one  honest 
Christian  man  fetched  me  round  to't." 

Amos  Tucker  sat  down  and  buried  his 
grizzled  head  in  his  rough  hands. 

**  Bless  the  Lord!"  said  the  quavering 
tones  of  a  still  older  man  from  a  far  corner 
of  the  house,  and  many  a  glistening  eye 
gave  silent  response. 

Go  on,  Brother  Emmons,"  said  the  min- 
ister. 

*'Well,  when  m  .vi  via;  v^iMu^  i  -i.L  Lip  to 
make   the  fin-    nnd   my  boy    Joe  had  forgot 


20  THE  DEACON'S    WEEK 

the  kindlin's.  I  'd  opened  my  mouth  to  give 
him  Jesse,  when  it  come  over  me  suddin 
that  this  was  the  day  of  prayer  for  the  family 
relation.  I  thought  I  would  n't  say  nothin'. 
I  jest  fetched  in  the  kindlin's  myself,  and 
when  the  fire  burnt  up  good  I  called  wife. 

'' '  Dear  'me  ! '  says  she.  '  I  Ve  got  such 
a  headache,  'Siah,  but  I  11  come  in  a  minnit/ 
I  did  n't  mind  that,  for  w^omen  are  always 
havin'  aches,  and  I  was  jest  a-goin'  to  say 
so,  when  I  remembered  the  tex'  about  not 
bein'  bitter  against  'em,  so  I  says,  '  Philury, 
you  lay  abed.  I  expect  Emmy  and  me  can 
get  the  vittles  to-day.'  I  declare  she  turned 
over  and  give  me  sech  a  look  ;  why,  it  struck 
right  in.  There  was  my  wife,  thai  had 
worked  for  an'  waited  on  me  twenty-odd 
year,  'most  scart  because  I  spoke  kind  o' 
feelin'  to  her.  I  went  out  and  fetched  in  the 
pail  o'  water  she  'd  always  drawed  herself, 
and  then  1  milked  the  cow.  When  I  come 
in  Philury  was  up  fryin'  the  potatoes,  and 
the  tears  a-shinin'  on  her  white  face.  She 
did  n't  say  nothin',  she  's  kinder  still,  but  she 


THE   DEACON'S    WEEK 


21 


had  lit  no  need  to.  I 
felt  a  little  meaner  'n 
I  did  the  day  before. 
But't  wa'  n't  nothin'to 
my  condition  when  I 
was  a-goin\  towards 
night,  down  the  sullar 
stairs  for  some  apples, 
so 's  the  children  could 
have  a  roast,  and  I 
heered  Joe  up  in  the  kitchen  say  to  Emmy, 
*  I  do  b'lieve,  Em,  pa  's  goin'  to  die.'     '  Why, 

J  o  s  i  a  r    F2  m  - 

'^  \  C^^W:  mons,  how  you 

talk!'  'Well, 
I  do  ;  he  's  so 
eve  r  1  a  s  ti  n  ' 
pleasant  an' 
\  good-nateredl 
can't  but  tliink 
he's  struck  witn  ucath.' 

**  I  tell  ye.  brethren,  I  set  right  down  wn 
them  sullar  stairs  and  cried.  I  did,  reely. 
Seemed    as    though    the    Lord    had    turned 


22 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK 


and  looked  at  me  jest  as    he  did    at   Peter. 
Why,  there  was  my  own  children  never  see 

me  act  real  fatherly 
and  pretty  in  all 
their  lives.  I  'd 
growled  and  scold- 
ed and  prayed  at 
'em,  and  tried  to 
fetch  'em  up  jest  as 
the  twig  is  bent  the 
tree 's  inclined,  ye 
know,  but  I  had  n't 
never  thought  that 
they  'd  got  right  and 
reason  to  expect  I  'd 
do  my  part  as  well 
as  they  their  'n. 
Seemed  as  though  I  was  findin'  out  more 
about  Josiah  Emmons'  shortcomin's  than  was 
real  agreeable. 

''  Come  around  Friday  I  got  back  to  the 
store.  I  'd  kind  o'  left  it  to  the  boys  the 
early  part  of  the  week,  and  tilings  was  a 
little    cuterin',   but   I   did   have    sens(^   not  to 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK  23 

tear  round  and  use  sharp  words  so  much  as 
common.  I  began  to  think  'twas  gettin' 
easy  to  practice  after  five  days,  when  in 
come  Judge  Herrick's  wife  after  some 
curt'in  calico.  I  had  a  han'some  piece,  all 
done  off  with  roses  an'  things,  but  there 
was  a  fault  in  the  weavin' — every  now  and 
then  a  thin  streak.  She  did  n't  notice  it,  but 
she  was  pleased  with  the  figures  on  't,  and 
said  she  'd  take  the  w^hole  piece.  Well,  jest 
as  I  was  wrappin'  of  it  up,  what  Mr.  Parkes 
here  said  about  tryin'  to  act  jest  as  the  Lord 
would  in  our  place,  come  acrost  me.  Why, 
I  turned  as  red  as  a  beet,  I  know  I  did.  It 
made  me  all  of  a  tremble.  There  was  I,  a 
doorkeeper  in  the  tents  of  my  God,  as 
David  says,  really  cheating  and  cheatin'  a 
woman  !  I  tell  ye,  brethren,  I  was  all  of  a 
sweat.  '  Mis'  Herrick,'  says  I,  'I  don't 
b'lieve  you  've  looked  real  close  at  this  goods  ; 
't  ain't  thorough  wove,'  says  I.  So  she  did  n't 
take  it ;  but  what  fetched  me  was  to  think 
how  many  times  I  *d  done  sech  mean,  onreli- 
able  little  things  to  turn  a  penny,  and  all  the 


24 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK 


time  sayin'  and  prayin'  that  I  wanted  to  be 
like  Christ.  I  kep'  a-trippin'  of  myself  up  all 
day  jest  in  the  ordinary  business,  and  I  was 
a  peg  lower  down  when  night  come  than  I 


was  a  Thursday.  I  'd  ruther,  as  far  as  the 
hard  work  is  concerned,  lay  a  mile  of  four- 
foot  stone  wall  than  undertake  to  do  a  man's 
livin'  Christian  duty  for  twelve  workin'  hours  ; 
and  the  heft  of  that  is,  it's  because  I  ain't 
used  to  it  and  I  ought  to  be. 


////'.     J'/.AiU.\    ■>     \\I:l\I\ 


-'D 


**  So  this  mornin'  came  around,  and  I  felt 
a  mite  more  cherk.  T  was  missionary  morn- 
in', and  seemed  as  if  'twas  a  sight  easier  to 
preach  than  to  practice.     I  thought  I  'd  begin 


.j/-^*^    v^^ 


to  old  Mis'  Vedder's.  So  I  put  a  Testament 
in  my  pocket  and  knocked  to  her  door.  Says 
I,  '  Good  mornin',  ma'am,'  and  then  I  stopped. 
Words  seemed  to  hang,  somehow.  I  did  n't 
want  to  pop  right  out  that  I  'd  come  over  to 
try  'n'    convert    her  folks.     I    hemmed    and 


26  THE  DEACON'S    WEEK, 

swallered  a  little,  and  fin'lly  I  said,  says  I, 
'  We  don't  see  you  to  meetin'  very  frequent, 
Mis'  Vedder.' 

"  '  No,  you  don't !  '  says  she  as  quick  as 
a  wink.  *  I  stay  to  home  and  mind  my 
business.' 

''  'Well,  we  should  like  to  hev  you  come 
along  with  us  and  do  ye  good,'  says  I,  sort 
of  conciliatin'. 

''  '  Look  a  here.  Deacon  ! '  she  snapped, 
*  I  Ve  lived  alongside  of  you  fifteen  year,  and 
you  knowed  I  never  went  to  meetin' ;  we 
a'n't  a  pious  lot,  and  you  knowed  it  ;  we  're 
poorer 'n  death  and  uglier 'n  sin.  Jim,  he 
drinks  and  swears,  and  Malviny  do'  'no'  her 
letters.  She  knows  a  heap  she  had  n't  ought 
to,  besides.  Now  what  are  you  a-comin' 
here  to-day  for,  I  'd  like  to  know,  and  talkin' 
so  glib  about  meetin'  ?  Go  to  meetin' !  I  '11 
go  or  come,  jest  as  I  darn  please,  for  all  you. 
Now  get  out  o'  this  ! '  Why,  she  come  at 
me  with  a  broomstick  !  There  was  n't  no  need 
on 't ;  what  she  said  was  enough.  \.hadnt 
never  asked  her  nor   her'n    to  so  much    as 


THE  DEACON'S    WEEK  2  J 

thiniv  o!  j^oudncss  ijcioK!.  i  iu;ii  i  went  to 
another  place  jest  like  that  —  1  won't  call  no 
more  names ;  and  sure  enough  there  was  ten 
children  in  rags,  the  hull  of  em,  and  the  man 
half   drunk.      He  giv^'  it  to    me,  too  ;   and   I 


•-^^ 


don't  w^onder.  I  'd  never  lifted  a  hand  to  serve 
nor  save  'em  before  in  all  these  years.  I  'd 
said  consider'ble  about  the  heathen  in  foreign 
parts,  and  give  some  little  for  to  convert  'em, 
and  I  had  looked  right  over  the  heads  of 
them    that  was  next  door.     Seemed   as  if  I 


28 


THE   DEACON'S    WEEK 


could  hear  Him  say,  '  These  ought  ye  to  have 
done,  and  not  have  left  the  other  undone.' 
I  could  n't  face  another  soul  to-day,  brethren. 
I  come  home,  and  here  I  be.  I  ve  been 
searched  through  and  through  and  found 
wantin'.     God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  !  " 


He  dropped  into  his  seat  and  bowed  his 
head  ;  and  many  another  bent,  too.  It  was 
plain  that  the  deacon's  experience  was  not 
the  only  one  among  the  brethren.  Mr. 
Parkes  rose,  and  prayed  as  he  had  never 
prayed  before ;  the  week  of  practice  had 
fired  his  heart  too.  And  it  began  a  mem- 
orable year  for  the  church  in  Sugar  Hollow ; 
not  a  vear  of  excitement  or  enthusiasm,  but 


THE  DF A  COST'S    WEEK  29 

one  wncii  inc)'  iujaru  iiujir  Lord  saying  as  to 
Israel  of  old,  *'  Go  forward/'  and  they  obeyed 
his  voice.  The  Sunday-school  flourished, 
the  church  ser\'ices  were  fully  attended,  every 
good  thing*  was  helped  on  its  way,  and 
peace  reigned  in  their  homes  and  hearts, 
imperfect,  perhaps,  as  new  growths  are,  but 
still  an  ofishoot  of  the  peace  past  under- 
standing. 

And  another  year  they  will  keep  another 
w^eek  of  practice,  by  common  consent. 


WHAT  DEACON    BAXTER  SAID 


'THE  DEACON  AND  MIS'  BAXTER  WENT  TO  SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL." 


WHAT   DEACON    BAXTER    SAID 


IT  was  a  calm,  sweet  sunset.  I  had  been 
to  church  with  the  deacon  in  the  morn- 
ing, and,  lying  in  the  hammock,  had  read  The 
CongregationaHst  while  he  arni  '*  Mis*  Bax- 
ter'* went  to  Sunday-school  ;  for  I  was  only 
a  summer  boarder  at  the  farm,  and,  like  most 


■^.^ 


summer  boarders,  I  had  left  my  work  behind 
me  for  a  few  weeks  of  absolute  rest.  I 
thought  I  had  done  my  full  share  when  I 
went  to  hear  old  Parson  Simpson  preach  that 
morning.     Just  now  the  deacon,  having  had 


34 


WHAT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID 


his  supper  and  done  his  chores,  sat  down  on 
the  front  doorstep  to  enjoy  the  utter  quiet ; 
and  I  lay  stretched  on  the  grass  just  below, 


thinking  of  an  article  I  had  been  reading. 
Before  us  spread  a  vast  amphitheater  of  fold- 
ing hills,  with  silent,  darkling  forests  clothing 
every  crest,  their  verdant  foothills  meeting  in 
a  narrow  intervale,  and  their  blue  distances 
keeping  well  the  secret  of  the  hidden  water- 
courses that  in  the  stillness  sent  up  the  plash 
and  fall  of  their  downward  leap  and  made 
the  air  musical. 

The  deacon's  benign  face,  wrinkled  with 
many  a  year  of  toil  and  trouble,  seemed 
touched  with  that  solemn  peace  of  the  moun- 


WHAT  DEACOX   HAXTLK    SAW 


35 


tains.  His  kind  old  eyes  were  pathetic  in 
their  expression  of  patient  expectance.  I 
thought,  glancing  up  at  him,  of  the  Psalm- 
ist's words:    ''I  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  unto 


the  hills,  from  whence  cometh  my  help.  My 
help  cometh  from  the  Lord,  who  made  heaven 
and  earth."  But  my  mind  was  filled  with  a 
sort   of   uncertain    pleasure    that   yet    I  half 


36  WHAT  DEACON  BAXTER  SAID 

doubted.  I  wanted  the  deacon's  opinion,  so 
I  interrupted  his  quiet. 

'*  Deacon/'  said  I,  ''did  you  read  a  letter 
in  your  last  paper  giving  a  man's  reasons  for 
not  wishing  to  join  the  church,  though  rang- 
ing himself  on  the  side  of  religion,  signed 
'  Veza '  ?  " 

"Well,  I  did,"  said  he.  ''Poor  feller! 
poor  feller !  "  he  added  in  a  tone  of  the  ten- 
derest  pity. 

"Why,"  I  resumed,  "I  liked  it  so  much! 
It's  just  the  way  I  feel  myself." 

"Do  ye?  Well,  well!  Say,  Cap'en,  you 
went  to  the  war,  did  n't  ye  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  'm  glad  and  proud  to  say  I  did. 
I  was  all  through  it,  from  the  first  volunteer- 
ing to  Lee's  surrender.  That 's  where  I  got 
the  bullet  in  my  hip  that 's  given  me  a  limp, 
and  had  those  two  fingers  shot  off,  besides 
two  months  of  typhoid  in  camp  at  Talla- 
hassee." 

"  What  made  you  go  ?  " 

"Why,  deacon,  what  else  could  a  man  do 
who  loved  his  country?" 


H'l/AT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID  37 

**  Still,  the'  was  some  who  stayed  to  home." 

**That  IS  so,  I  'm  sorry  to  say." 

**  Well,  now,  I  'd  like  to  ask  a  few  questions 
about  it  all.  I  could  n't  go  myself.  I  was 
lame  from  a  boy  ;  put  out  my  hip  by  a  fall, 
and  't  was  n't  set  right,  so  they  would  n't  take 
me.  I  did  what  I  could  to  home,  but  I 
always  felt  real  interested  in  the  hull  thing  ; 
and  when  I  beared  you  say  the  other  day 
somethin'  about  your  old  rigiment,  I  thought 
I  'd  like  to  have  a  dish  of  talk  with  ye  about 
it,  and  perhaps  now  's  a  good  time." 

I  did  not  think  how  the  deacon  had  sud- 
denly changed  the  subject  from  "  Veza's" 
letter  and  my  sympathy  with  it ;  for  the  w^ar 
with  its  glorious  results  was  the  theme  of  all 
others  that  interested  me ;  and  all  was  just 
now  freshly  recalled,  as  I  searched  eagerly 
every  day  for  the  bulletins  of  my  grand  old 
general's  condition,  dying  by  inches  where 
he  lay  on  the  heights  of  Mount  McGregor, 
spared  by  shot  and  shell  to  be  tortured  for 
months  with  deadly  and  terrible  disease. 

**  What  shall  I  tell  you  about  ?"  I  asked. 


38  WHAT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID 

''How  came  you  first  to  think  o'  j'inin* 
the  army  ?  " 

''  Why,  I  wanted  to  help  fight  the  rebels,  and 
then  I  hoped  to  help  do  away  with  slavery; 
that  was  a  second  thought,  perhaps." 

''  You  did  n't  have  any  doubts  nor  hanker- 
ings about  which  side  you  'd  fight  on  ?  " 

*'  No  !  I  meant  to  be  on  the  right  side, 
whether  we  beat  or  were  whipped.  But  I 
did  n't  expect  to  be  beaten.  I  remember  one 
line  of  a  verse  I  saw  somewhere  once  kept 
ringing  and  singing  in  my  ears,  — 

'  Forward,  and  God  defend  the  right !  ' 

and  I  meant  to  help  defend  it." 

''  I  suppose  you  liked  the  folks  in  your  com- 
pany, too,  and  that  made  it  pleasant  for  you  ?  " 


**  No,  I    did  n't,   not   all    of  them.     There 
were  some  of  the  worst  fellows  I  ever  saw  in 


IVHAT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAW  39 

our  regiment ;  low  rascals  who  cursed  like 
pirates  and  stole  even  our  rations,  if  they 
could  get  at  them.  I  gave  one  fellow  a  good 
sound  kicking  for  swearing  about  Grant  when 
we  got  down  to  Shiloh.  I  don't  believe  he 
used  his  vile  tongue  against  the  general  for 
one  while  again.  Then  there  were  a  parcel 
of  gamblers,  drunken  bullies,  who  were  good 
food  for  powder,  nothing  else  :  a  perfect 
disgrace  to  the  army." 

*'  I  suppose  they  fit  pretty  well,  though, 
did  n't  they?" 

*'  No,  sir ;  the  best  men  were  the  best 
fighters.  These  fellows  shirked  and  malin- 
gered and  ran  when  they  got  a  chance.  Lots 
of  *em  deserted  while  w^e  were  near  home  ; 
they  could  n't  very  well  when  we  were  in  the 
enemy's  countr)^" 

*' What  made  'em  join  the  army,  do  you 
suppose  ? 

*'  Oh,  some  of  them  did  it  for  the  sound  of 
it.  They  got  excited  ;  they  liked  the  interest 
everybody  felt  then  in  volunteers ;  they  had 
one    eye    on    the    pay    and    bounty,    too.     I 


40 


WHAT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID 


think  some  of  them  expected  'twould  be  a 
good  thing  for  them  afterward.  It  has  proved 
good  capital  for  beggars  ever  since.  Lots  of 
people  will  help  an  old  soldier,  w^ho  would  n't 
give  one  cent  to  a  common  tramp." 


''  I  should  n't  think  you  'd  have  liked  to 
fight  alongside  such  folks." 

''I  didn't;  but  then  my  business  was  to 
fight,  whether  or  no.  I  'd  enlisted  for  the 
war.  The  general  was  all  right.  I  'd  got  to 
obey  orders  myself,  and  I  could  n't  fall  out  of 


IVI/AT  DEACON  BAXTER  SAID  41 

ranks  because  my  ri^ht-haiul  man  in  file  was 
half  drunk,  or  the  one  on  the  left  singing  a 
vile  song.  I  did  blow  at  them  a  good  deal, 
but  1  could  n't  desert  in  the  face  of  the 
enemy." 

'*  Frhaps  you  would  n't  have  'listed  if  you  'd 
known  what  sort  of  fellers  was  to  be  in  your 
rigiment  ? " 

**Why,  yes,  I  should.  I  tell  you  I  wanted 
to  fight  those  confounded  rebels.  I  did  n't 
care  who  went  along,  if  I  only  went  myself. 
I  w^as  going  to  fight  my  country's  battles, 
whether  the  men  along  with  me  w^ere  good 
or  bad.  I  did  n't  trouble  my  head  about 
them." 

"You  want  airaid  folks  would  think  you 
was  one  of  em  ? " 

**  I  did  n't  think  about  it  any  way.  I  'd 
got  to  march,  to  forage,  to  camp,  to  fight,  to 
retreat ;  in  short,  to  obey  orders.  I  did  n't 
stop  to  consider  what  the  stay-at-homes 
thought  about  me  or  my  comrades." 

*'  You  had  a  pretty  hard  time  ? " 

**  Yes,  but  that  we  expected  after  w^e  got 


42  V/IIAT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID 

used  to  the  business.      It  was  n't  play ;  it  was 
business^ 

''  Ain*t  you  a  little  queer  ?  "  said  he,  looking 
at  me  with  sad,  serious  eyes.  ''  You  did  all 
this,  and  you  won't  enlist  under  the  Lord  of 
Hosts  because  there  's  just  such  a  lot  of  folks 
takes  the  name  of  his  soldiers  upon  them- 
selves as  there  was  in  the  fedVal  army." 

I  sat  dumb. 

The  deacon  went  on  :  ''  Can't  you  obey  His 
orders,  and  fight  under  him  same  as  you  did 
under  Grant  because  there  is  hypocrites  and 
backsliders  in  his  Church  ?  What  if  you  'd 
said,  '  I  '11  fight  on  my  own  hook  rather  than 
beside  these  scallawags  and  rascals  ;  I  won't 
enlist,  but  I  '11  take  my  gun  and  go  raiding 
around,  and  do  my  level  best  without  wearin' 
uniform  or  gettin'  into  line  or  under  orders  '  ? 
If  that  is  the  right  way  to  fight,  why  don't 
people  do  it  ?  Why  don't  the  generals  say, 
'Go  along,  do  your  best;  whatever 's  right 
in  your  own  eyes,  foller  that '  ?  Why,  there 
would  be  no  race  nor  people  left  on  the  face 
of   the  airth,  if  they  done  so.     Here's  this 


<  <.    <.'.  \      />    » .\  / 


43 


poor  '  Veza/  he  s  too  good  to  eat  with  pubH- 
cans  and  sinners  at  his  Master's  table.  Is 
the  disciple  above  his  Lord  ?  Just  look  back 
and  see  how  Jesus  Christ  fixed  the  first  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  who  was  in  it.  There  w^as 
Thomas,  who  would  n't  believe  the  Lord  was 
risen  onless  he  could  put  his  finger  right  into 
the  nail  holes  in  his  hands.  That  was  n't  a 
great  deal  like  faith,  was  it  ?  Then  there  was 
Peter  went  and  denied  him  three  times,  and 
the  Lord  knew  he  was  goin'  to  do  it ;  and 
well  he  knew  that  Judas  would  betray  him 
into  the  hands  of  them  that  would  crucify 
him  on  the  cross.  But  he  sat  down  with 
them  all  at  the  table,  and  gave  to  them 
his  last  commands,  and  shared  with  them  the 
sacramental  bread  and  wine.  Why,  I  think 
he  did  it  a-purpose,  so  's  that  we  should  not 
set  ourselves  up  above  anybody. 

**  I  suppose  it's  natural  that  you  and  this 
*  Veza,'  and  a  good  many  other  folks,  should 
feel  the  way  you  do,  for  I  Ve  been  there  my- 
self before  now.  There  's  been  times  when 
I  have  knowed  evil  about  church  members. 


44  IVI/AT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID 

and  such  evil  that  it  seemed  as  though  I 
couldn't  pass  the  bread  and  wine  to  'em,  or 
take  it  myself  in  their  comp'ny ;  but  some- 
how I  fell  back  on  the  Lord,  how  he  set  there 
and  ate  the  supper  with  them  he  knowed 
well  was  false  and  murderous  and  deceitful ; 
and  I  thought  if  he  could  do  it,  who  was  I  to 
set  up  that  I  could  n't  ? 

''*Veza'  says  he  knows  there  is  better 
Christians  in  the  Church  than  he  is.  Well, 
if  that 's  so,  why  can't  he  train  with  them  ? 
And  how  does  he  know  but  what  some  of 
these  folks  he  despises  are  sayin'  in  their 
own  hearts,  '  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sin- 
ner ! '  whilst  that  he  is  thankin'  God  that  he 
is  n't  as  they  are  ? 

''  I  tell  you,  folks  don't  seem  to  under- 
stand that  a  man  has  got  to  grow  in  grace  in 
the  Church.  It  is  a  strait  gate  and  a  narrow 
way,  and  people  will  stray  and  stumble 
therein ;  but  after  all  Christ  says,  '  Enter  in 
at  the  strait  gate,'  and  '  Whosoever  therefore 
shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  will  I  con- 
fess   also    before    my    Father    which    is    in 


heaven  ;  but  whosoever  shall  deny  me  be- 
fore men,  him  will  I  also  deny  before  my 
Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  There's  your 
orders,  Cap'en."  And  the  old  man  looked 
at  me  with  such  a  grand,  sweet  look  that  I 
turned  my  own  face  -aw^w  T  wns  not  rrady 
to  speak. 

Presently,  however,  words  came  to  me. 
**  But,  Deacon  Baxter,  you  must  own  that 
the  sins  and  shortcomings  of  so-called  Chris- 
tians are  a  great  stumbling-block  to  many." 

**  Yes,  to  them  that  want  to  stumble  ;  but 
I  never  yet  heard  anybody  that  was  really 
new- hearted  and  in  dead  airnest  to  serve  the 
Lord,  who  was  kept  out  of  the  Church  by 
the  poor  professors  in  it,  any  more  than  you 
was  kept  out  of  the  fedVal  army  by  the  ras- 
cals and  dead  beats  you  knowed  was  in  your 
rigiment  when  you  'listed.  I  am  willin',  and 
more  than  willin',  to  allow  that  the  average 
church  member  don't  live  as  he  'd  ought 
to  live,  and  them  that  do  ought  to  stir  up 
them  that  don't. 

''  The  Lord  said  to  Peter,  '  When  thou  art 


46  WHAT  DEACON  BAXTER   SAID 

converted  strengthen  thy  brethren,'  as  much 
as  to  say  Peter  was  n't  converted ;  yet  he 
was  one  of  the  twelve,  one  of  the  visible 
Church  ;  so  I  believe  there  is  some  in  every 
church  who  ain't  converted,  and  when  they 
are,  why,  their  duty  is  to  strengthen  the  rest 
from  their  own  experience.  And  there 's 
some  that  are  backsliders ;  they  've  died 
down  to  the  roots,  as  you  may  say,  same  as 
young  trees  will  in  a  cold  winter  or  a  long 
dry  spell ;  but,  if  the  livin'  root  is  in  them, 
they  '11  sprout  up  ag'in  an'  grow.  If  it  is  n't, 
then  they  '11  have  to  be  cast  into  the  fire,  for 
what  I  see.  But  neither  for  you  nor  for  this 
'Veza,'  Cap'en,  is  there  any  gettin'  away 
from  the  Word  of  God.  *  He  that  is  not  for 
me  is  against  me.'  And  I  can't  add  nothing 
to  the  Word  of  the  Lord  ;  for  it  is  his,  not 
mine." 


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